The Media Line: At Least 40 Killed After Overcrowded Bus Plunges Into Ravine in Pakistan 

At Least 40 Killed After Overcrowded Bus Plunges Into Ravine in Pakistan  

By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line  

At least 40 people were killed when a passenger bus carrying dozens of travelers plunged into a deep ravine in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Friday, in one of the deadliest road accidents in recent months.  

The crash occurred in Dhana Sar, a border area between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Sherani district.  

Usman Sadozai, a rescue official, told The Media Line that the bus was traveling from Quetta to Peshawar when it veered off the road and fell into a ravine.  

According to Sadozai, at least eight other passengers were injured in the accident, some of whom were reported to be in critical condition.  

Rescue workers faced significant challenges in carrying out relief operations as the bus had plunged into a deep ravine amid rugged mountainous terrain, making access to the crash site extremely difficult.  

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told The Media Line that rescue teams were dispatched immediately from Sherani, Zhob, and Dera Ismail Khan after authorities received reports of the crash.  

Rescue officials said relief operations were hampered by the rugged mountainous terrain, making access to the accident site difficult.  

Following the incident, a state of emergency was declared at hospitals in Sherani and Zhob to ensure immediate medical treatment for the injured.  

Rind further told The Media Line that the district administrations, rescue agencies, and other relevant departments in both provinces were working to assist those affected and ensure the injured received immediate medical care.  

He said preliminary information indicated that, in addition to its own passengers, the bus was also carrying passengers from another passenger coach that had broken down earlier, leaving the vehicle overcrowded at the time of the crash.  

Dhana Sar is administratively part of Balochistan’s Sherani district, located about 250 miles northeast of Quetta.  

The Dhana Sar route forms part of the shortest highway linking Quetta with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and connecting Quetta to Islamabad.  

The road passes through rugged mountainous terrain, with steep ravines running alongside much of the highway, making it one of the region’s most challenging routes for motorists.  

 

 

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